I've needed new glasses for well over two years now, ever since I broke two pairs of clip on sunglasses when Jessie was in Kindergarten. Yeah. That was a long time ago. Well, I finally got a new pair last year from Firmoo.com. It was totally weird, because I'd been looking at Costco for awhile, but they didn't carry any frames that came with clip-on or magnetic sunglasses. And I *have* to have those, because I hate switching back and forth from prescription glasses. I always feel slightly woozy and end up getting dizzy or headachy. And in So Cal, you really need your sunglasses almost every day. I was getting major frown lines from constantly squinting in the sun. Makes it tough to drive.

When Firmoo sent me an email asking whether or not I'd like to try a completely free pair of glasses in exchange for an honest blog post, I jumped at the chance. The whole experience was simple and trouble-free. I even asked a question online and got a response within 24 hours. Pretty cool. Ordering was easy, you just plug in the information from your doctor's prescription, and sit back and wait. You can even upload a photo of yourself so you can "try on" any of the frame styles they have (though I was too lazy to do that, of course). I thought the order took a while to arrive, I think it took about two weeks. Which, actually, when I think about it, really isn't very long at all, is it? I don't know why it seemed like a long time to me, maybe I was too excited to get them.

Anyway, the glasses arrived in perfect condition, and the prescription is just right. I only had to get used to the initial wooziness from wearing new glasses, but unfortunately, that just can't be helped.

I love that my new glasses came in a nice hard case, with a soft lens cloth and this wonderful mini screwdriver on a keychain. They also included a pair of extra nose thingys and four additional screws. Because those little guys are totally impossible to find if you lose one.

Okay, hope you didn't mind the mini commercial broadcast, I just thought the whole experience was very nice, and free is always good in my book! Even if I did have to pay for shipping (which I didn't), it would have been so much better than the $100+ I was going to have to pay for a new pair of glasses, let alone a pair that included clip-ons.

The next post will be crafty, I swear. I've made some small things and just need to take photos. Funny, I'm writing about needing sunglasses when it's actually supposed to be grey and rainy all weekend long!

And this was the only photo I got! It's back to work for me soon, too, and even though I love what I do and where I work and who I work with, I realized how much I could get done at home just by myself, all week long, during school hours. Today was a luxury, going grocery shopping and running errands on my own schedule, with just me to worry about for a few hours. Next week it will be back to constantly rushing around, dropping off the kids, racing to work, then trying to squeeze grocery shopping and laundry in between school pickup and homework, cooking dinner, getting the kids ready for bed, and finally taking a breath when we read our bedtime story. Makes me tired just thinking about it! But we really did savor the summer days, I don't think we wasted a single one. Even when I locked us out of the house last week in 100 degree weather, we managed to make the best of it and had some fun.

Today I sent them off with backpack snacks, for them and their past and present teachers, and mademytraditionalsofties - reminders for the girls that I'm missing them, thinking of them, and waiting to hear all the stories and details from their first day in fifth and second grade.

We went camping for Spring Break (for five days in a tent!) and came home with buckets and boxes full of treasures from the sea. The beach we were at has tide pools, interesting and varied rocks polished smooth by the waves, and shells and sea glass of all different sizes and colors. But what to do with all the goodies, aside from putting them in jars and bowls and/or leaving them to gather dust in the garage?

I used some crochet cotton and the Klutz Hemp Bracelets book to create some wearable memories of our great week. This was the first one I made, just a trial run, and since then I've made a few more, with a few beads added in.

I also collected some smallish rocks with natural holes in them, that I hope to string up and make into necklaces. I want to do some crocheted rock covers, too. Ack! So many ideas, not enough time or energy.

I found this amazing, incredible, natural heart rock (I mean, isn't that freaking beautiful?!) but Jessica made me put it back into the water because she said the seaweed was still alive. I don't think it was, but couldn't tell her for absolute positive sure that is wasn't, so I was a good girl and put it back in the ocean. Thank goodness for cameras, or that sucker would have had to come home with me.

And one last souvenir I brought home? I had a pretty bad sunburn on the backs of my legs and my feet. I'm the one with the pink water shoes, so, yup, it now looks like I have some funky tattoos on my feet. At least they kind of resemble hearts - and thank goodness for socks!

So, I've been missing a lot of things lately. Missing my family at Thanksgiving because we couldn't travel, missing the kids' school activities, and missing from this blog space. Why? Because I got a job exactly one month ago. After 9+ years of not working outside the home, I finally accepted the fact that I need to financially contribute to the household, and after a few false starts, I got a wonderful job that I'm loving. It's seasonal, so I won't be working when the kids are out of school. Most days, I am still able to drop off the kids and pick them up at school, and man, that first paycheck sure felt wonderful. I get to be around books all the time, and I don't have to deal with customer service. Love!

Except for all the "missing," of course. I feel guilty about not helping out in the classrooms, I feel stressed when Rebecca's grades seem to be slipping, and I feel sad when Jessie wakes up at 4:52 a.m. to come into my bedroom because she knows I have to be at work before she starts school the next morning and is afraid I will leave the house without saying goodbye. I feel a pang every single day when I leave the kids, but I suppose we'll all get used to it. Sooner or later. I knew it was going to be hard, and a big adjustment, I just didn't think it would be such a physical feeling in the pit of my stomach every day.

Yesterday, Jessica said she'd pack me snacks for my lunch. I got a Hello Kitty container filled with goodies. Candies from her special Halloween stash, a Rice Krispie treat, crackers, and a love note. Just like the ones I write for her. Warmed and filled my heart for sure.

I've been getting these cookies from IKEA ever since I first started going there. And now they're discontinuing them?! Is that true? How can that be?! Is there anything equivalent that I can buy easily here in the States? The girls and I bought three packages from the last case our local IKEA had. We'll be savoring them slowly. Sob!

The tooth fairy has been really busy at our house lately. Between the two kids, we lost four teeth in five days. They were popping out all over the place!

One of the gifts left by the Tooth Fairy was this cool box made from two super-crispy one-dollar bills. Jessie wrote her a note asking if she could please have her tooth back again, so she put the tooth back inside.

I love the gap, front and center. I'll be kinda sad when the permanent teeth come in. Summer is over, and the babies go back to school on Monday. I am going to miss them, it's been a wonderful few months. We did a lot, but it went by too fast and there is still so much we want to do. Lazy days are over, no more going to bed late and sleeping in even later.

Regina and I have been communicating for years now, from the very beginning of my blog, I think. We have so much in common, our kids are pretty much the same ages, we are about the same age (I'm a few months older - ugh!) and we've emailed, commented on each other's blogs, swapped many goodies, and sent packages back and forth.

But on Monday, we finally met face to face. At Downtown Disney, where my kids said it was cruel to take them without actually setting foot in Disneyland. But meeting Regina made up for that.

It was comfortable and easy and the night passed by much too quickly. She's exactly as I thought she'd be, and oh-so-patient with my little chatterbox (I'm pretty sure Rebecca talked to her more than I did). She even brought me gifts.

Have you seen the e-course she's offering in August? There's still time to sign up, I can't wait to learn from her and get creative with my kids, too.

The girls say I don't have to call her my "blog friend" or "online friend" or anything like that anymore. She's just my real friend.